Just when you thought it was over, the Mesut Ozil is back for a sixth series!
Many thought that Mesut Ozil was struggling for form with Arsenal this season. However, it just turns out that he was struggling for game time. For whatever reason, Unai Emery opted not to feature Ozil for a number of months. In fact, last night against Newcastle was the German’s first Premier League start of the calendar year.
Arsenal took on Newcastle, and it was a sublime performance. Although the scoreline was a bog-standard 2-0, Emery’s men were out for blood. They were constantly attacking the Newcastle defence and they created some impressive passing movements throughout the match. One man was key to all this…
Arsenal’s saviour stepped up again
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No, by saviour I do not mean a holy being, or a fully enlightened one. Although, that would be close. I am, of course, talking about Mesut Ozil. He was named the man of the match for a reason, despite not providing a goal or an assist.
Ozil was doing what he does best. He was free to roam, and roam he did. He constantly linked the play between midfield and attack, often picking the ball up himself in the midfield positions. You could tell he was raring to go after the international break because whenever there was an opportunity to complete a one on one with the opposition, he took it. So much so that the Newcastle players resorted to fouling him.
The effect rubbed off on his teammates, too. The likes of Alex Iwobi and Matteo Guendouzi all stepped up and tried to replicate Ozil throughout the match. Even Shkodran Mustafi strived forward with purpose in the final ten minutes. Although, let’s not talk about that cross, please…
There isn’t long left of the season and Arsenal sits in third place. They have an easy end to the season in comparison with their top four competitors, however, they must not take this for granted. They must pick up three points in every single match, nothing else is acceptable. To do this, they need squad unity and a sense of togetherness, both of those involving Ozil.
What did you make of Mesut Ozil’s performance against Newcastle last night?